Victoria moves to toughen terror laws

SUSPECTED extremists could face curfews and children as young as 14 could be locked up without charge under proposed reforms to Victoria’s terror laws.

AAPJune 18, 20172:25pm

SUSPECTED extremists could face curfews and children as young as 14 could be locked up without charge under proposed reforms to Victoria’s terror laws.

An expert panel led by former Victorian Chief Commissioner Ken Lay and former Supreme Court of Appeal Justice David Harper will review the laws currently available to prevent, investigate, monitor and respond to acts of terror, AAP reports.

In announcing the review on Sunday, Premier Daniel Andrews said “nothing is off the table” and it could include curfews and GPS tracking people who have not even been charged.

Mr Andrews admitted some of the moves would not be “popular”.

“If curbing the rights of a small number of people is what’s required to keep Victorians safe then I won’t hesitate to do it,” Mr Andrews told reporters.

The panel will look at what can be done during all stages of the justice system — including pre-charge, pre-sentence, during sentence and post-sentence measures.

It will also provide advice on removing any barriers to Victoria Police in responding to terrorist acts.

Extremists could face curfews or GPS tracking and children as young as 14 could be locked up for two weeks without charge under proposed reforms, the Herald Sun reports.